Push into Naxal territory: IAF plans to build a new airbase in Chhattisgarh in the event that a larger role for the air force is envisaged to counter the Naxal insurgency. But given the nature of the conflict, where is the need for an 8 sq. km. air base which would include 3,500 yards of runway?

Protest, softly: Pratap Bhanu Mehta asks what role social protests such as “Bharat bandh” serve in today’s India in addressing very legitimate grievances.

The return of the Ottoman: Some shameless self-promotion. My piece on Turkey’s reorientation post l’incident flottile and how this impacts India and the subcontinent.